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Leadership for everyone
Leadership is a phenomenon that exists in nature, among humans and among other species that live on our planet. In many cases we hope to lead, or to take center stage at some point in life, but for some reason we fall short. Why are we so afraid of leadership, and can anyone become a leader?
Since I was little, I watched cartoons and movies with heroic protagonists who led their friends to the ends of the earth to save the world. Over many years this built in me a belief that leadership and being the protagonist were for a few, only the chosen ones, the messiahs.
I saw my perception reflected in this Harvard Business Review article, titled "Most People Don't Want to Be Managers," published by Nicole Torres in 2014, which shows, through a CareerBuilder survey, that 34% of 3,625 full-time workers in government or the private sector in the US said they did not want leadership positions. The reasons given in the survey vary, considering that people could choose more than one answer:
Why US workers don't aspire to leadership positions
This data may indicate that a large share of people feel some insecurity about leadership, a feeling of inability or fear. That is why I think it is urgent to demystify leadership, and for that I will bring a few concepts:
Meaning of leadership (Oxford dictionary):
feminine noun
1. role, position, character of a leader.
2. spirit of command; authority, ascendancy.
3. BY METONYMY: person or group of people who have this spirit, who exercise this command.
Meaning of leader (Oxford dictionary):
noun of two genders
1. individual who has the authority to command or coordinate others.
2. person whose actions and words influence the thinking and behavior of others.
According to the book The Monk and the Executive by James C. Hunter, leadership is the skill of influencing people to work enthusiastically toward goals identified as being for the common good.
So, now that we understand what leadership is, here is a provocation for you to reflect on:
At any point in your life, have you ever influenced people to do something enthusiastically to reach some goal?
Think about the simplest things in life, like getting your friends to go to a party, or your parents to go out for a walk, or your classmates to study for a test or to throw a birthday party.
If you ever did this, congratulations, you have already led. And if you can't remember a moment like that, don't worry, leadership is a skill that can be studied, trained and learned, like walking, talking or anything else you have already learned, however hard it was for you.
The question that remains is, why should you lead?
Notice that leading is not about a job title, but about a stance as a human being. It has to do with proactively seeking better results for the group, and positively transforming the environment around you. That is why I believe all of us should study and learn a bit more about leadership, so that we can be better students, colleagues, children, parents and professionals.
Of course, like any new or underdeveloped skill, the learning journey involves pain, and that is part of it. If you are afraid of leadership, don't be anymore. Lead to become a better person, and not necessarily to reach a position or status, because that is not what it is about.
Learn to lead in your personal life, without pretension, and suddenly you will be leading teams and increasing your impact on the world.
Book recommendations on leadership:
Free class recommendations: